The Vetipak site in Zeewolde is home to our successful long-term partnership with Bakker Logistics, part of the STEF group. It’s also where we work for Dynamic Products Factory, which develops creative products for the retail sector. We recently ensured that a multitude of party items in 3,300 displays reached their destinations with a well-known German retail chain. We joined forces to run the whole process from A to Z for D.P. Factory.
Rens looks back at the Day of Sustainable Packaging
On June 22 the national online event Day of Sustainable Packaging took place in Oss. Of course our packaging technologist, Rens van de Rakt was there. He looks back at this day based on four trends.
“The Day of Sustainable Packaging is an initiative of the Municipality of Oss and HAS Hogeschool. The event is intended to put the packaging companies in Oss better on the map and to promote mutual cooperation. As Vetipak we could not be missing.”
1. Transition to MONO-materiaal
“During the morning session, professionals from different industries discussed the future of packaging. The main trend that emerged here? The transition from packaging to MONO material. That means: not using more material than necessary, making more use of reusable packaging, and better informing consumers about sustainability and waste separation. This development is accompanied by trends such as chain shortening, personalization and local purchasing. At Vetipak, we have been advising and supporting our customers in the transition to MONO material for some time. And where we can, we source our materials locally.”
2. Life Cycle Analyses
“After lunch, Luuk van Diemen, junior packaging technologist at LCA Centre, gave a presentation on Life Cycle Analyses. This is a smart tool with which you can calculate the environmental impact of a packaging. Many large companies already use the LCA Center service. So I will definitely go into it.”
3. The 6R-method
“Ariane van Mancius, owner of the company Now New Next, also spoke. She spoke about the limits of natural resources. Using the 6R method (Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Renew, Recycle), she explained how you can approach every packaging issue to find a sustainable solution. Through our lifestyle we exhaust the world at a rapid speed. Gold is expected to run out in 2030 and many more resources will follow. Only by becoming more sustainable can we solve this problem.”
4. Against the loss of value
“At the end of the event, Siem Haffmans, circular economy consultant, spoke about ‘loss of value’. You always add a little value when producing and marketing a product. But after consumption, that value drops considerably, often even below zero. At that time, consumers suddenly see the product as waste and therefore as a problem. According to Haffmans, this problem of loss of value can only be solved by means of a circular economy. So his presentation confirmed once again that we at Vetipak should continue to focus strongly on this.”
"To make packaging a part of the circular economy, a different way of thinking is needed."
Siem Haffmans, strategic advisor circular economy and writer of 'Products that Flow'
Also read this article from Brabants Dagblad about the packaging sector in Oss (in Dutch):
"Van Lassie tot Coca Cola: de halve supermarkt zit in een Osse jas"
